diminished
Britishadjective
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reduced or lessened; made smaller
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music denoting any minor or perfect interval reduced by a semitone
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music denoting a triad consisting of the root plus a minor third and a diminished fifth
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music (postpositive) (esp in jazz or pop music) denoting a diminished seventh chord having as its root the note specified
B diminished
Explanation
If you drive through a tunnel, you’ll notice that your cell phone reception is diminished. When something is diminished, it’s been weakened or lessened. Diminished is an adjective used when something has lost its power, prestige, or worth. The value of a car, for instance, is diminished over time by wear and tear. In some instances, diminished means "belittled," or made to seem like less in the face of something perceived as better or greater. The popularity of a laptop, for instance, will be diminished if a cheaper, more powerful model is released. Leaders and politicians who get involved in scandals often suffer diminished reputations.
Vocabulary lists containing diminished
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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The City of Ember
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Music - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But Labour still holds a commanding majority in the House of Commons, and Kemi Badenoch’s diminished band of Conservatives still sit across from them as His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.
From Salon • May 10, 2026
This year’s incarnation, taking place Saturday, will be much more subdued, even diminished, with far fewer troops and no tanks or missiles—no military hardware of any sort—rolled out for display.
From Slate • May 9, 2026
Drivers have complained that the near 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power and need for energy management has diminished the challenge in qualifying.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
Implementing a "mollifier layer," which smoothed the signal before measuring it, radically diminished both the noisiness and the power consumption scaling.
From Science Daily • May 6, 2026
“He is showing us that the crowning ceremony angered him, and that his power is not diminished by it. We will see what else he plans to do.”
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
